This is a circuit for controlling the temperature of an ink jet array fabricated in the form of a silicon device, and more specifically is a resistive heater and temperature sensor integrated on a device, or chip, to regulate its temperature.
Ink jet printers are potentially capable of being produced at lower cost than laser or xerographic printers, but their commercialization has been impeded by a lack of reliability. One problem is that variation in the temperatures of the ink and the jet mechanism result in impared performance.
It is customary, in the use of temperature sensitive electronic equipment, that the room or cabinet be supplied with a heater, cooling fan and thermostat to regulate its temperature, but it typically takes a long time for the temperature to stabilize, and permanent variations in temperature usually remain between system components depending on their location with respect to air flow and heat sources and sinks.
What is required is an ink jet array designed so that it can quickly be brought to its operating temperature and is thereafter impervious to changes in the temperatures of the ink supply, the local electronic components and the ambient air temperature.